


Klance Oneshot(s)

by animesimptenfold



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Angst, BL, Bisexual Lance, Blood and Violence, Crushing, Drugs, Flirting Lance, Gay, Gay Keith, Guns, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, LGBT, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, MxM - Freeform, Oneshot, Secret agents AU, Shadam, Violence, Voltron, background shadam, background shiro x adam, bxb - Freeform, established shadam, i really hope y’all like it :/, i’ve never published on here how does this work-, klance, klance angst, klangst, lance and keith are partners, married shadam, not pining yet, part one, possible major character death, secret agents, shadam parents, shiro x adam, sorry adam > curtis, voltron legendary defender - Freeform, want a part two?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:36:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28541166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animesimptenfold/pseuds/animesimptenfold
Summary: "No. She should be here soon."She. The king of the drug ring that's dominated the area for generations.Dangerous. Cunning. Tactical.Their mission wasn't supposed to be dangerous, though. It was just to gather intel. Only open fire if necessary; don't shoot to kill.Things don’t always go as planned, though.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Guns, mentions of drugs and blood. violent themes.

Night clubs introduced unmatched proximities and temperatures enough to make the heavyweights and teetotalers uneasy. On a particularly busy night — Saturday night, that is — the thick scent of sweat and livelihood hung heavy over the dance floor.  
  
Now, this wasn't the reason Keith didn't like clubs. It certainly contributed, but it ultimately came down to the pointlessness of dancing and drinking with completely unnecessary neon lights. He especially hated when strangers came along and got a little too touchy.  
He decided long ago that if he was going to drink and dance, it would be at home. Maybe with Shiro and Adam over. Otherwise, he didn't think going out for such things was necessary. 

So, when his boss assigned him and his partner to look into the drug ring rumors circulating around a popular club, he wasn't exactly overjoyed. 

"C'mon, it'll be fun! Maybe we can sneak a few drinks." Lance had gently nudged him with his elbow as they were walking out of the office. This was met with a small head shake from Keith and a smile. 

Lance. 

How to even begin to describe his eccentric, flirty, and scarily determined partner. He was a character, for sure. As much of a goofball as he was, he was damn good at his job and could be serious when needed. He'd come through in situations no other partner would. 

They'd been working together for four years, their chemistry manifesting and making them a better duo. Keith found it funny, really, how he managed to get along with someone that was his polar opposite. Some might say Lance brought out the best in him. Said statement had a tendency to bring a smile to Keith’s face. 

"-eith. Earth to Keith!" There was a hidden sense of urgency in Lance's tone that made Keith come to.

"Sorry- I'm here. What's wrong?" Keith's finger found his ear piece, gently pressing down as he spoke, nearly unable to hear himself over the cacophony of music and chatter. 

"Thinking about me, were you?"

The urgency had seemingly faded away, being replaced by Lance's usual flirty tone. Despite it being the norm, Keith always found himself caught off guard by his bold statements. Thankfully, that didn’t repress his ability to spew witty retorts. 

"Yeah, I was wondering when you were gonna stop breathing in my ear."

Judging by Lance’s actions on the balcony area across the room, he took Keith’s teasing remark seriously. He’d slapped his hand over his mouth, only removing it to speak again. 

"Was I? I'm s— Wait, that's not even possible. You idiot." Lance muttered when he realized he would've had to have been pressing down on his ear piece for Keith to hear. 

Keith hummed out a quiet chuckle, "Have you seen the target?"

Their tones died down at that question, business talk dominating the conversation.

"No. She should be here soon."

She. The king of the drug ring that's dominated the area for generations. 

Dangerous. Cunning. Tactical. 

Their mission wasn't supposed to be dangerous, though. It was just to gather intel. Only open fire if necessary; don't shoot to kill. 

"Look! There!" Lance whisper-yelled into Keith's earpiece, "By the bar."

Keith's eyes finally found her. She stood by the bar, chatting with a shorter girl, who seemed to have shown up with her. 

"I see her." 

Keith sucked in a breath and started walking to the bar, unease swelling in his stomach.

"Wait, what're you doing?" Lance's voice rang in his ear, no doubt attracting attention from those beside him.

"Cover me from above." He muttered under his breath before discreetly removing his ear piece and tucking it into his pocket. 

It was their usual tactic; Lance above, Keith below, but they usually discussed a plan beforehand. This was different; more rushed and uncertain. 

They both felt it. 

It was a troubling sort of feeling— and it was growing fast. The kind of criminal they were dealing with always had backup. She was merciless; never hesitated. 

Keith casually strolled up to the bar, absentmindedly ordering a drink from the bartender. Less than a few feet away was the culprit that somehow managed to leave no evidence behind. 

The wire pressing against his torso was going to change that.

Any talk about her line of work was all he needed to take that long-awaited step towards her arrest. 

Once he got his drink, he headed towards them, a typical jackass smile gracing his features. It was a role he didn’t typically enjoy playing, but it didn’t prove too difficult. 

"Hey, ladies. Haven't seen you around here before." 

Keith was terrible with smooth-talking of any variation, which initially made him question why he always made contact with targets. His question was soon answered when he witnessed Lance's sharpshooting abilities — something he now trusted with his life. 

This scenario was different, however. 

Lance was equipped with a Glock rather than an M4, considering the so-called small-scale mission. 

While Keith had no doubt Lance would make the shot regardless, he was still uneasy. 

"Oh? So you come here often then?" The culprit's friend piped up, hands resting on her leather-clad hip. 

"Often enough to know regulars from newbies." 

He learned the culprit went by Allura, and her friend was Romelle. While he doubted their legitimacy, he branded those names onto his brain. 

After what felt like ten minutes of mindless chatter, Keith looked down at his drink a let out a blasé sigh. 

"I need something stronger."

That statement. It had the power to get something; anything out of them. He knew they wouldn’t offer, but maybe- just maybe, with all of the right questions, he could get the truth. 

He was there, he was on the brink of a confession — anything that related her to the drug ring going on. Something in his stomach jumped at the idea, filling his veins with an early sense of victory. 

That is, until his phone rang.

"Oh, uh, excuse me." Keith felt every bit of excitement he had go down the drain as he walked away to answer Lance's call, "Lance, what gives? I was just about to—"

"Keith, get out of there. Now. They're closing in around you; this is a setup. They figured it out." Lance's urgent words sliced through him like a knife, heart racing as he discreetly glanced around him.

Lance was right; men with their hands on their belts were closing in around him.

Three guarding the exit. 

".. Okay. I'll- I'm.. I'm going. Stay out of sight." He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

'I'll just blend into a crowd. They won't make a scene if not necessary. They have too much to lose.' Keith thought to himself, slinking away into the middle of the dance floor. His eyes caught the spot at the bar, but Allura and Romelle were nowhere to be found.

'Dammit.' 

His hand was on the holster of his gun, a reminder that he had backup. He had a weapon.

He squeezed through people that didn't even look old enough to be there, head starting to swim with a newfound sense of claustrophobia. 

'The back exit. There has to be a back exit.' 

The back exit. Would it sound an alarm? 

His phone rang yet again.

He answered it with trembling hands,  
"Where are you?"

"I'm coming down. There's too many. We need to get out of here."

Lance's voice had this calming effect on him, though he'd never admit it. It was as shaky and uncertain as his own, though. He was half tempted to sprint to the crowd to find Lance. That way, they were together. That’s all that mattered. 

He couldn’t, though. He couldn’t risk putting Lance at risk. 

"Dammit, okay.. I'm trying to find the exit. The target's go—"

Keith went dead silent as a barrel was pressed up against his back, a strong hand pulling him back to conceal the scene, "Hang up the phone."

His mind was screaming, begging him to not hang up the phone. He knew he had to, though. Not complying could lead to a bullet through his back. 

"Keith? Hello?" Lance's voice grew panicky when he was met with silence. It made his heart hammer impossibly harder in his chest, longing swelling in his heart. 

He slowly flipped the burner phone closed and curled his fingers around it to indicate no sudden movements. 

His heartbeat was in his ears, blood running cold as he squeezed the phone in a futile attempt to ground himself. 

‘Please.. please don’t let them get to Lance.’

His job required bravery and a cool head in life threatening situations, and he'd experienced them before, but this felt different. 

He felt as if death was knocking on the door, eagerly awaiting his inevitable arrival. 

"So, what do you want?"

He was met with an airy chuckle, "Straight to the point, huh? You don't want to beg for your life first?"

Keith scoffed, his confident facade slowly starting to crumble,  
"You'd really make a scene? Here?"

Another laugh. More hearty this time.

"Oh, you think you have it all figured out, don't you? You cops never look at the whole picture."

His mouth went dry, the confidence in his voice making him falter.

"Take off your wire. Destroy it."

Just as Keith was about to retort, a shrill scream rang out, filling the entire club.

He looked around, only to find the attention on them. 

"Gun! He has a gun!" People started to scatter, crying out. 

Suddenly, three shots from behind him rang out. 

Warning shots.

Taking the opportunity, he slammed his elbow back as hard as possible. The groan he was met with told him he succeeded, wrangling out of his grasp.

"Keith!"

He whipped his head around, being met with Lance's frantic eyes. 

He loved it. He loved the way he could find Lance in a room, no matter what. No matter how many people. It was only a matter of seconds before he could meet that magnetic gaze. Despite it now being frantic- terrified, even- he couldn’t look away. In fact, it drew him closer. 

As long as they'd been partners, he always found himself absolutely hypnotized by Lance's eyes. They were like nothing he'd ever seen before. He was certain no one on the planet had the same eyes. Even the ocean shrunk back in jealousy. 

However, now, his gaze was downright terrified and full of tears. 

It made his heart ache.

Suddenly, it seemed like everything around him- the stressful, surreal blur of reality- unpaused. 

Then it was sped up, moving at an impossible pace. 

"Keith, move!" 

Everything happened so fast, he was unable to process anything happening around him. No, it was just a blur of colors and screams — it was so loud. 

So, so loud. He hated loud noises. Except for Lance. Lance was loud; unabashedly so. When he was excited, or even if he saw something he found especially interesting. Or when they came back to work after having a few weeks off. He was the only exception. 

"Lance—"

Another shot— screams. Awful, piercing screams. 

This time, the shot wasn’t a warning. No, it was a statement. A straightforward, potentially fatal statement. 

Keith staggered forward due to impact, anger flaring up in his chest as he was about to retaliate against what he thought was a punch. 

He stopped short of turning around when Lance's voice met his ears. 

“Keith! Dammit, why didn’t you..!” 

Lance was running now, running towards him with his gun aimed somewhere behind his head. 

It was pure chaos. Everyone was screaming and running towards the nearest exit; shots were being fired. 

He pulled his gun from its holster, but stopped short when he felt something running down his torso. Terrified, his gaze slowly shifted down to the red stain growing on his shirt. 

Everything hit him at once. His strength garadually faded away as he dropped his gun, legs giving out from beneath him. So that’s what it felt like. He’d only ever been grazed by a bullet, so to be shot was.. like nothing he’d ever felt before. 

He hadn’t felt it at first, but now that he realized there was a bullet in his torso, everything was on fire. Involuntary tears clouded his vision as he grunted in pain, hands resting on the wound. 

He laid on his back in an attempt to alleviate the pain, hands trembling as he slowly started to peel up his shirt. 

"An ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!" 

He slowly turned his head in the direction Lance's voice was coming from, breathing becoming erratic as he lost more blood.

The gunshots had stopped, meaning the culprits had likely fled. 

And then Lance was right beside him, tears accentuating his eyes.

"Everything's gonna be okay. We're gonna get you out of here, alright?" His words were rushed and lacked confidence; nothing like the normal Lance. 

Keith moved his hands, revealing the wound. 

A look of fear flashed over Lance’s face, but it was quickly replaced by determination as he realized what he had to do. He took off his overcoat and quickly applied pressure to Keith's wound, immediately making him cry out.

"Holy crap.." Keith grunted, gritting his teeth and tilting his head back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." Lance muttered, looking down at him, "You have to stay with me, okay? Just look at me."

His adrenaline was wearing off, head beginning to feel airy and far away. "Ha.. always- always on you. Don't leave.. please." His words slurred together, becoming a jumbled excuse of a sentence.

"I won't, I'm right here. The ambulance is coming already." Lance's voice grew more desperate as he felt Keith's slowing pulse. 

It seemed to be impossibly slow; too slow for someone like Keith. The hot-head that always had something to say. The one that always defended himself when their boss reprimanded him for making a rash decision— even if it saved their asses. 

The Keith that was always by his side, that supported his decisions. From the very beginning, Keith trusted him. He trusted his judgement calls. It seemed as if Keith believed in his abilities more than himself.

And he let him down. 

"Good.. good. I want your eyes to be the last ones I see." Keith mumbled, eyes growing heavier.

"God, Keith, don't say stuff like that! You're gonna make it." Lance reprimanded, though even he seemed to doubt his words. 

".. the best partner.." He mumbled out in a vain attempt to properly express how he felt.

The doors slammed open to the club, paramedics rushing in with a gurney. The crowd had thinned since the scene unfurled, making the path to Keith easier.

Lance was told to step aside and, after much hesitation, he did, his now bloodied hands trembling as he wrapped them around himself. 

"His names Keith.. Keith Kogane." 

Keith, his partner, his friend — someone who'd grown to mean the world to him, was laying there, pale and barely breathing. It was a sight he'd never forget, no matter how hard he tried. 

"Prepare the AED, he's barely handing on." One of the EMT's shouted to the other as they loaded Keith onto the gurney.

'AED?' Lance thought, 'He needs a defibrillator?' His chest began to tighten, bile rising in his throat. Did he help at all? What if he hadn’t gotten to him in time? 

Before he knew it, he was outside, only able to watch helplessly as they loaded the gurney into the ambulance, slamming the doors behind them.

He assumed that meant he couldn't ride with them, which was probably for the best. He wouldn't be able to watch them shock him over and over again.

Instead, he raced to the car, body racked with sobs as he shakily put the key into the ignition. He knew he was required to inform their agency, but that was the last thing on his mind.

No, all he could think of was Keith. The man he'd somehow developed feelings for. The man who was currently fighting for his life. 

'Keith,' He thought, 'Please be okay.'


	2. Sneak Peek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sneak peek cause school just started up again and I’m really trying! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! here’s a sneak peek to let y’all know that i’m still here! i just started school again so things are kinda crazy, but i’m trying.

How long had it been? Two days? A week? Lance couldn’t even tell anymore. He just knew he’d entered the stage of near-total numbness.

Every time he closed his eyes, though, the images that flashed through his mind proved to be a worthy opponent.

It was a nightmare, he just didn’t have the privilege of being asleep.

Occasionally, however, he was able to claw out of the hole he was in to get a glimpse of the light. He managed to think of the good times they’d had— like the time he forced Keith to try bubble tea.

It was their first ever outing together outside of work; their “not date”.

He remembered every moment, every laugh- every word exchanged.

_“Cmon, close your eyes! Don’t you trust me?”_

_Keith’s face was serious for a moment, contrasting Lance’s undefeated puppy dog eyes, but he soon smiled,_

_“With my life.”_

_Thankfully, Keith closed his eyes and didn’t see Lance’s rosy cheeks. Disregarding intrusive thoughts, he dropped the kiwi-flavored boba into Keith’s waiting mouth._

_He watched him chew slowly and then make a face, “Mmh, I don’t know. I’m on the fence... but I’d be willing to try more if you keep feeding me.”_

_Lance’s own face betrayed him as he stammered out a response, suddenly losing his confidence, “Yea- Yeah, okay. Weirdo.”_

And again began his rather unceremonious plummet back into that godforsaken hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like it. drink some water <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance receives some news at the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i am so very sorry this took so long. i dont like making excuses, so lets just read, yeah?

How long had it been? A day? Two? Had any time even passed by? Lance didn't know; he forgot time was able to coexist with tragedies. He only knew that he was at the stage of near-numbness, the atmosphere of the nearly empty emergency room waiting area only contributing to the emotions he was trying not to feel. Unwelcomed images of that night were playing like a sideshow in his head, over and over every time he closed his eyes. It was a nightmare; he just didn't have the privilege of being asleep. Instead, he tried to focus on other things, like some of his memories with Keith-- spent outside of work, that is.

He didn't have too many, but he tried to follow the quality-over-quantity mindset. So, using the little brain power he had left, he tried to concentrate; to climb out of the hole he was in to get a glimpse of the light.

One memory in particular came to mind- one that Lance thought about often: their not-date at the bubble tea shop. He remembered every moment, every laugh, every word exchanged-- he was so happy that day.

_"C'mon, close your eyes! Don't you trust me?"_

_Keith's face was serious for a moment before it was graced with a smile, "With my life."_

_Thankfully, Keith closed his eyes just in time to miss the flush of Lance's freckled cheeks._

_'Screw you and your dumb words, Keith.' Lance mentally cursed the man in front of him before dropping a popping boba into his waiting mouth._

_Keith bit down, made a face, swallowed, and then opened his eyes, "It's.. weird, I don't know. But not bad-weird, just, maybe texture-wise."_

_Lance couldn't suppress a small giggle, "Texture? It's in your mouth for, like, less than a second. There's not even a texture." He reasoned, arching a brow._

_Keith just shrugged after a moment, "Regardless, I guess I'm on the fence."_

_Lance pouted, "Ugh, lame!" He huffed, popping a mango boba into his mouth._

_Keith's rather annoying chuckle made him look up and narrow his eyes, "But.."_

_"But?" Lance echoed._

_He sensed some hesitation, but Keith quickly covered it up, instead plastering on a mischievous smile, "But, if you keep feeding me, I might reconsider."_

_Lance's cheeks flared up in color yet again. He almost missed the matching flush painting Keith’s face, "I.. whatever, you idiot."_

The memory slowly faded away and with it, Lance began his rather unceremonious plummet back down into that godforsaken hole.

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

After what felt like endless pacing back and forth on the linoleum, a nurse approached Lance, face grim. His tired, swollen eyes met her sympathy-filled ones, though they seemed worn and dull, likely from years of delivering bad news.

For a moment - just a moment - he considered running. Running out of the automatic doors, down the sidewalk, across the parking lot, and.. wherever his legs led him. He didn’t, though.

He immediately let go of that pathetic fantasy and instead returned his focus to the nurse in front of him, who he hadn’t realized started speaking. “-ut we can’t give you any information. At least, not without an immediate family member present. I’m very sorry.”

Before he could even get a question in, the nurse hurriedly turned and walked away, sneakers creating a quiet thud against the floor with every remorse-filled step. He stared after the nurse, hating the pang of relief reverberating in his chest.

Had the alternative been the nurse, empty-eyed and tight-lipped, uttering four life-ruining, world-ending words, he would’ve lost it. While being left wondering wasn’t any better, Lance still had a spark of hope allowing him to cling onto the idea that Keith was alive. He had to be.

He’d delved so deep into his thoughts, he hadn’t even felt the hand on his shoulder until the owner began speaking, voice soft and somewhat scratchy, “You’re Keith’s partner, right?”

Lance projected his still-dejected gaze onto the slightly taller- but definitely older- male now beside him.

“I’m.. yeah, I am.” He mumbled out, using the moment of silence that followed to reciprocate the question.

“I’m Shiro, Keith’s brother.” Lance’s body visibly tensed the moment the words met his ears, mouth running dry. Keith’s brother? Was he mad? Was he going to ask him to leave? To maybe never see Keith again?

Endless possibilities raced through Lance’s mind, which must have been evident on his face, considering the gentle squeeze Shiro gave his shoulder, “I’m going to talk to the nurses, okay? I’ll get some more information and ask when we can see him.”

He found himself absentmindedly nodding, instead focusing on the when. When we can see him. He liked the way that sounded. Shiro’s hope validated his own, the heavy weight in his chest suddenly lessening.

Maybe convincing himself that Keith was okay wasn’t so far-fetched after all. Lance allowed that thought to manifest itself in his mind, dropping himself into a seat once he found himself in the waiting area again. Keith was okay. He was sure of it.

Despite his positive mantra, his leg was still bouncing, hands clasped together as his eyes scanned over the aremic pattern of the linoleum. It was that pesky fear he couldn’t seem to let go of. So, instead of trying to forcibly push it out of his brain, he tried one of the breathing techniques Keith had taught him during a rather anxiety-inducing assignment.

He closed his eyes, trying to picture Keith’s smiling face.

Inhale.

‘ _One-mississippi, two-mississippi, three-mississippi, four-mississippi..’_

He decided to drop the mississippi, reasoning that it interfered with the mental portion of the exercise.

_Hold._

_‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.’_

_Yes, that was much better._

_Exhale._

_‘One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.’_

He repeated it a few more times, trying to allow a state of control to replace the despair desperately trying to claw up his chest and consume his brain.

“Keith taught you that?” A voice suddenly beside him made his eyes blink open in surprise, though rather than Shiro, it was a different man with kind, golden-brown eyes.

Lance nodded, “Yeah.. he did.” The man nodded, a smile gracing his otherwise gloomy features,

“Shiro taught him that when his anxiety was real bad. I’m glad someone is making good use of it.” He chuckled, “I’m Adam, by the way. Keith’s brother-in-law.”

He realized the connection, though he couldn’t help but wonder where Keith’s parents were. He wanted to ask but decided against it, figuring it was neither the place nor time.

“I’m Lance.”

“Oh, I know, believe me. Your name is all we ever hear from Keith.” Another chuckle, though it was less humorous and more of a way to distract the both of them from the situation at hand.

His brows shot up. Keith talked about him? To his family? What about? What if he talked to them about the stupid mistakes he made during their assignments? Or maybe they made fun of Lance’s futile attempts at flirting, or-

His lips were moving before he himself realized it, stammering out an excuse of a sentence, “He- talks about me?” Lance echoed, his wide eyes meeting Adam’s.

“Oh, yeah, he’s like a little kid telling us about his day at school.”

They both managed a chuckle at the analogy. Yes, this was a good distraction.

For the first time in what seemed like the longest twenty four hours of his life, a warmth spread across his chest.

“I mean, obviously he couldn’t tell us much, but he’s always telling us about what a good partner you are.” Adam continued, an underlying sense of coyness residing in his tone.

His pupils dilated and seemed to consume the shrinking whites of his eyes, heart now hammering in his chest. Now that he didn’t expect. At the very least, he figured Adam would mention some silly story Keith told them. No, instead Keith took the time out of his day to express how he felt about having Lance as a partner. The word-induced high he suddenly found bestowed on him didn’t give him a chance to doubt Adam’s words. Instead, he gave him a pleading look, as if begging for Adam to tell him more.

After about five minutes of quiet chuckled and storytelling, the warmth in Lance’s chest spread like wildfire across his body. Keith really cared. “Wow, that’s… I never would have guessed.” Lance chuckled, crossing his legs, “He’s going to kill the both of us for talking about this, y’know?”

Adam hummed beside him, eyes downcast for a moment.

Lance bit his tongue. Had he made a mistake? Did mentioning present Keith make Adam uncomfortable?

“I’m-“

“Thank you, Lance.”

Their eyes met yet again, but it was Adam’s turn to cry. It was a silent, almost content cry. Tears spilled one by one down his face, some being stopped at the barrier of his glasses.

“Why are you.. thanking me?” Lance shifted in his seat, his voice small and on the edge of doubt.

“Thank you for taking care of our Keith.” He exhaled shakily, taking off his glasses to clean them, “He cares about you so much. I’ve never seen him like this before. So.. I hope the two of you can have a nice talk soon.”

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, a wavering feeling of gratefulness swelling his chest. Yet, he couldn’t fight the guilt waltzing up and down his chest, eventually pooling in his stomach.

How could he thank him? If he’d warned Keith a split-second earlier, or made his down the stairs a step faster, Keith wouldn’t be in the hospital, teetering on the edge of life and death. No, Lance didn’t think he deserved to be thanked. He deserved to be ridiculed, reprimanded, anything that would emphasize that it was, indeed, his fault. Lance had allowed himself to get overwhelmed. He couldn’t keep a cool head like Keith.

He wasn’t like Keith. Not at all. He didn’t deserve Keith.

Before Lance had a chance to pipe up or protest - anything that corrected Adam’s misplaced gratitude - Shiro walked back to them.

Engraved on his face was an expression Lance would never forget. A cup of coffee in his hand, eyes swollen and dull.

Adam hurriedly climbed to his feet, looking up to search Shiro’s eyes. He deemed the unbearably heavy silence as their long awaited answer, his head falling forward onto Shiro’s chest.

“He made it.”

Those three words- those amazing, heart-stopping, serotonin-inducing words Lance had fantasized about over and over for the past six hours, hit him like a truck.

Almost simultaneously the three men began crying, relief removing some of the weight from their shoulders.

It was short lived, though, as they realized Shiro approached them so grimly for a reason.

“Takashi?” Adam mumbled, gaze shifting upwards, “What else?”

‘ _No, don’t ask him to continue. I don’t want there to be a ‘but’. There can’t be a ‘but’_.’ Lance wanted to cut Adam off, but he knew better. 

“We- we don’t know when,” Shiro swallowed thickly, contemplating his next words carefully, “or.. _if_ Keith is going to wake up.”

The weight returned. Tenfold. So much so that Lance staggered back, slumping down into his chair.

No, that’s not what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that Keith was okay, and he could go see him.

He wanted to hear that Keith wanted to talk to him, so they could talk for hours and Lance could tell him that he cared. He cared so much.

The two older men towering above him couldn’t find the courage or strength to comfort the now sobbing Lance.

He was embarrassed, but any care he had was long out the window.

His hand clawed up to his chest, trying to fight the growing tightness of his lungs. Even his head began spinning, the colors around the room becoming a stressful, surreal blur.

Before he knew it, his breathing had turned into not-so-subtl _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _e___________ gasps and wheezes. The two men were kneeling beside his chair in an instant, trying to help him calm down and find his grasp on reality.

It was futile. His tunnel vision was worse than ever before, ears filtering out what felt like a cacophony of sound around him.

All he could hear was a single phrase, repeating over and over in his head.

 _Keith is in a coma_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have some of a part three written. if you guys want it, of course. i hope you enjoyed <3 i’ve been stressing over it lately

**Author's Note:**

> let me know if you want a part two! hope you enjoyed <3


End file.
